Seated Liberty Half Dollar

The Seated Liberty design was depicted on multiple US coins including the half dollar.The Seated Liberty half dollar pictures Lady Liberty sitting with a heraldic shield on the front and an eagle on the reverse.

The late 1830s were years of progress and changes within the US Mint. Steam-powered coinage made its debut in 1836 and the first branch Mint opened in New Orleans in 1838. New designs were placed on all gold and silver coins between 1837 and 1840.

The Seated Liberty half dollar came to being in 1839. Liberty had her right hand resting on a shield and her left arm holding a pole that was topped by a Liberty cap to symbolize preparedness and freedom. Thirteen stars are around her and the date is below.

The Seated Liberty design was made by portraitist Thomas Sully and executed by engraver Christian Gobrecht. The style of the Seated Liberty reflected American’s taste for mid 19th century art.

The Philadelphia Mint made 2 million Seated Liberty half dollars in 1839 in two versions. The first coins show no drapery at the crook of Liberty’s elbow but the subsequent strikes all exhibit a fold of drapery there. The coins with no drapery are scarce in every grade and extremely rare in mint state levels.

The Seated Liberty half dollars were minted for more than fifty years from 1839 through 1891. These coins were widely used and people viewed them with respect because many Americans made well below ten dollars a week at that time in history. The unusually long production of this coin makes them hard to collect. Collectors have divided up the series into sub-categories with the most important division being “No-Motto” and “With Motto”. The motto is IN GOD WE TRUST. The Mint added it to the half dollar in 1866 on the banner above the eagle on the reverse. It stayed there for the remaining quarter century of the production of this coin.